Talk:Mal

German /maːl/-words

Just as a reference, because it's confusing. There are four different stems; the first two of them were already homophonous in Middle High German, while the other two were merged into the former only in modern German (though not necessarily in dialects):

• 1. The stem of "Mal" (time, occasion);
• 2. The stem of "malen" (to paint), to which belongs "Mal" (mark, sign);
• 3. The stem of "mahlen" (to grind);
• 4. The stem of "Mahl" (obsolete: council), to which belong the words to do with marriage ("Gemahl, vermählen").

This is additionally complicated by the fact that "Mahl" (meal, repast) is spelt with <h> even though it belongs to stem 1.

Disregarding etymology, the contemporary spelling is

• "mal" when the word has to do with (1) time, (2.) signs / places, (3.) painting;
• "mahl" when the word has to do with (1.) grinding, (2.) meals / food, (3.) marriage.

90.186.83.177 23:16, 7 May 2021 (UTC)